The pulp and paper industry is a large and growing portion of the world's economy. Global production of paper and paperboard is about 360 million tons (Fact & Price Book, 2006, Bedford, Mass., 2006 (ISBN: 1-932126.35.3) and steadily growing. In the U.S., the production of pulp and paper products is about 80 million tons annually, and uses about 4 MMBtu/ton of product in the dewatering process alone (Jacobs and IPST, for AIChE, Pulp and Paper Industry Energy Band Width Study, Proj. No. 16CX8700, 2006,9). The drying techniques, while more effective than mechanical or pressing techniques require excessive space and capital in addition to consuming large quantities of energy.
Accordingly, within the manufacturing process, a better understanding of sheet dewatering is needed to cost-effectively increase solids before the drying to the theoretical limit without compromising sheet structure.
The disclosed innovative approach addresses this very issue.
The disclosure generally relates to improving the press dewatering process during papermaking. These processes include but are not limited to in situ formation of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) materials during the fiber loading process by use of a heated press and the use of nano scale particles of, for example, calcium carbonate or calcium hydroxide for displacing the non freezing bound water held mainly in the small pores of wood pulp fibers.